Discover the Step-by-Step Process the Pros Use to Create Amazing Board Games

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If a Frustrated Dental Technician and a Group of College Kids Can Make an Amazing Game, You Can Too!

Did you know:

Catan was invented by Klaus Teuber, an unhappy dental technician, and has now sold well over 22 million copies worldwide.

Cards Against Humanity was created by eight college kids with no game design experience whatsoever.

All I'm saying is you don't have to quit your job or have a degree in game design. Anyone can create a fun game once they know how!

Nobody Designs Alone

It may seem daunting to create your own game, but it doesn't have to be. Creating a game should be fun! That's the way I always approach game design.

No game, even Catan or Cards Against Humanity, was created alone. Every game designer has help, whether it's from players, publishers, or other game designers. Nobody designs alone.

When you work with me, you'll always have helpwhenever you need it.

You're Not Just Making a Game. You're Making Memories.

Think back to the last time you played a great game with your friends or family.

Now how it would feel to be the one creating those incredible memories?

Picture your next game night. Someone asks "what should we play first?" and you say "I've got a game" and you pull your new creation outof your bag. The response: "Did you make that? No way! That's so cool!"

Imagine the feeling when you see the joy in your friend's and family's faces as they ask “can we play it again?!?!”

Laughter. Stories. Memories. We're here for the love of the game.

Playing games is awesome. Being the one making them is an incredible feeling unlike anything else.

You Can Create a Great Game From Start to Finish in Just a Few Hours a Week

Wouldn't you love to be able to...

Create an amazing, fun game, even if you don’t have any spare time?

Avoid the same mistakes that all new game designers make?

Get the answers to your game design questions quickly without having to search for hours?

Create a game that your friends and family love?

Making a board game doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. You just need to follow the right step-by-step process and be able to get answers to your questions from someone who's been there before.

You CAN Make Your Own Game. I Can Help.

You may be thinking of making your own game, but don't know where to start. I was in your exact same shoes just 5 years ago.

Hi, my name is Joe Slack.

Five years ago, I started making my first board game, but discovered that there wasn’t any one place I could go to really learn everything I needed to know to create a great game and get it published.

I wasted a lot of time, not to mention well over a thousand dollars on things I didn't need. I was getting trademarks and buying barcodes. I was paying a lot of money for prototypes before my game was ready. I had no clue what I was doing!

I didn't know how to take my idea and turn it into a game people actually wanted to play. I hadn't even heard of playtesting before.

I was just a guy with an idea for a game and I didn't know how to make it more fun or what to do next.

It took me years. But after reading every book and blog on game design, listening to tons of podcasts, and learning from dozens of experienced game designers, I finally understood the game design process from start to finish. It took a long time, but I was finally able to put together a simple step-by-step process to come up with ideas and create a really engaging game quickly, and I've used this method to help hundreds of other people understand how to create their very own game.

Now, five years later:

I've signed two of my games with established publishers and have over 20 other games at different stages of development

I'm the author of the #1 international best-selling book, The Board Game Designer's Guide, which has helped hundreds of aspiring game designers just like you create their own game

I've taught Game Design and Development at Wilfrid Laurier University, where I've helped new students understand how to create an engaging gaming experience

If you to want to create your own game then I'm here to help you, no matter what stage you're at, even if you don't have an idea yet.

A Few Words From Others I've Helped

"He is polite, articulate, and when it comes to teaching, Joe is a natural communicator. Whenever we play games or play test game concepts, if Joe is around he is the one chosen to explain the rules!
Apart from being an amazing communicator, another thing that I really like about him is that he is a listener, which in my opinion is an essential asset in problem-solving. And whoever has designed boardgames knows what I'm talking about!"
Sylvain Plante,
Game designer

“I would say that Joe is a wealth of knowledgewhen it comes to game design.”

Wanda Bozzo,

Elementary school teacher

“Joe has playtested many of my games and his advice and guidance has improved those games every time.
If you’re interested in modern game design, then Joe will show you the way with his fun, sometimes funny, but clever approach to game design and development.”
Richard MacRae,
Founder of Analog Game Studios

Introducing

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How the Board Game Design Course Can Help You Create An Amazing Game That People Will Love

You love playing board games. You want to create your own, but don’t know where to start.

I've made it my mission to take what I've learned to teach othershow to create their own game and avoid making all the mistakes I made along the way.

The Board Game Design Course is an online course that helps people just like you create an amazing board game by walking you through the process from idea to publication, step-by-step.

I'm Committed to Helping You Create Your Own Game and I Won't Let You Fail!

This is how the Board Game Design Course is different:

The Board Game Design Course is hands-on. By the end of the course, you will have an actual game that you made with your own two hands. You won't just learn HOW to make a game - you'll actually MAKE the game you want to create!

It will save you tons of time. The video lessons are short, but actionable. About 20 minutes a week is all you'll need (which you can easily do at the gym or on your lunch break), freeing up your time for actually making your game rather than spending years like I did researching and making every mistake along the way.

The course is completely focused on tabletop games, not video games! You won't waste time learning things that don't really applyto you.

Whenever you have questions, you'll get answers. The Board Game Design Course is not about just giving you more information, it's about supporting you in any way you need to create your own game. Whenever you have a question, you'll have your answer fast.

The Board Game Design Course is the only course where you will learn directly from a professional game designer who will answer all your questions live in weekly coaching and Q&A calls.

My support doesn't end when the course ends. Even after the course ends, I'll still be there to help you and answer your questions in our exclusive Facebook Group.

I won't let you fail. I love what I do and I love seeing new games come to life. I want you to make that incredible game that you have in you. I'll be there, encouraging you and keeping you on track every step of the way to ensure your game is the best it can be.

This truly is the ONLY course of its kind.

Plus, if you're able to get your game (or any future game) published or run a successful Kickstarter campaign after taking this course, you can easily make back multiple times the investment you made in yourself by taking the Board Game Designer's Course now.

Here's What You Get When You Join The Board Game Design Course

When you join, you'll receive LIFETIME ACCESS to the online Board Game Design Course, which includes:

31 hands-on video lessons packed with actionable steps and pro secrets that will help you make your game fast

MP3s of all the lessons so you can improve your game design chops while in the car, at the gym, or wherever you are

Transcripts of every lesson so that you can spend less time making notes and more time making a great game

8 weeks of group coaching Q&A calls where I will personally guide you through the process of creating your own amazing game and answer any questions you have

Expert advice and guidance throughout the course and beyond - I'll even keep supporting you and providing you with answers after the course ends!

In the Board Game Design Course, You'll Discover How to...

Come up with killer game ideas fast using my board game blender method. This method pumps out new ideas in seconds... even if you don't consider yourself the least bit creative.

Ask players the right questions to take your game from good to greatand then from great to amazing so you can avoid ending up in a never-ending development cycle

Make a game that has people asking "where can I buy this?"

Quickly find the most fun parts of your game to create an immersive experience for your players without taking years of development time

Get your game out of your dining room and share it with the world where it belongs!

Here Are All the Steps We'll Cover in Just 8 Weeks

Week 1 - How to think like a game designer and avoid the #1 mistake that puts rookie designers months behind

Week 2 - Create a compelling vision for your game so that it doesn't get stuck in your head and never makes it to the table

Week 3 - Make the first version of your game lightning-fast even if you don't know where to start

Week 4 - How to ask the right questions and get meaningful feedback so that your game doesn't end up becoming someone else's game

Week 5 - How to use the 4 I's Framework to design your game like a pro

Week 6 - Fail fast, find the fun, and reap the rewards

Week 7 - Taking your game from good to great (while avoiding the bad and the ugly)

Week 8 - How to get your game out there into the world without losing your shirt

Plus These Special Bonuses...

Publisher Pitch Event Opportunity (value: PRICELESS!!!):

An online event for a select group of game designers that gives you the opportunity to show your game to real board game publishers who will give you priceless expert feedbackand may even publish your game!

No need to travel to far-away events and spend a fortune to attend

Multiple publishers have already signed up and more are interested. These are all busy people who you'd normally get “maybe” 2 minutes of their time at a convention… if you’re lucky.

I'll coach you through what to do to get them to say “yes!”

Lifetime Access to the Exclusive Facebook Group (value: $240 per year for life!):

24-7 access to other supportive game designers so you can "pick their brains" for ideas to make your game even more amazing

Connect with other like-minded people with a passion for board games and build new friendships (not to mention find great future co-designers!)

The only dedicated place where you’ll learn from and get all your questions answered by a professional game designer and instructor

Free access for life - You can get in on this now before there's an annual fee to join

Discover the secret key to dramatically improve your chances of getting your game signed by a publisher

Apply the proven method to ensure players understand your rules so they don't throw up their hands and give up before they've given your game a chance

Pro tips on how to finalize your game, even if you have no budget

But I've Never Done This Before. What If I Need More Help?

If you're still unsure and think you'll need extra help implementing everything you learn or just want to move ahead more quickly and with some extra assistace, you'll want to hear about your personalized Premium Coaching Plan option.

If you’re looking for a more personalized approach to help take your game to the next level, then this plan was made for you. I'll work directly with you to help you make your game even better.

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Don't Just Take It From Me. Hear What Others Have to Say.

“I was lucky enough to have Joe Slack in as a board game design specialist at our inaugural year of game design summer camp.
I was amazed with Joe's patience and kindness as he shared his expertise and experience in designing board games, working one on one with children and helping them realize their vision for their unique games.”
Cory Bildfell,
Tabletop Camp Leader

“It was very concrete… Going through the book step-by-step was really helpful… It gave you a way to go about what you have to do.”

Shannon Wylie,

Aspiring game designer

"Working with Joe has been a most pleasant experience. As a collaborator, Joe's approach to game design is straight-forward with minimal fuss and his suggestions and contributions are thoughtful and appropriate. I'm looking forward to working more with Joe in the future."

Francois Valentyne,

Designer of Ticket to Ride: Legendary Asia

“Joe Slack has helped me so much with the rules. He was able to streamline everything, check all the grammar, structure it in a way where the reader is engaged from beginning to end. He’s a really great guy to work with.”

Ken Valles,

Designer of Catacombs Cubes

Praise for The Board Game Designer's Guide

“Without a doubt, if I had read Joe’s book back in 1989, it would have accelerated my progress and potential as a game designer by decades.”

Jamey Stegmaier, Kickstarter expert and designer of Scythe, one of the top 10 board games of all time

4.8 Stars on Amazon.ca

4.5 Stars on Amazon.com

You Should Join The Board Game Design Course if...

Youlove playing board gamesand can’t wait to make one of your own

You’d rather learn how to design a game quickly rather than spend hundreds of hours sifting through the mountains of information online

You’ve been working on a game but have gotten stuck anddon’t know what to do next

You want to avoid the same costly and time-consuming mistakes that I made

You have a lot of creativity stuck inside that you can’t get out at your day job

You’d love to share your own creationwith the worldand see the joy it brings to others

Does this sound like you? If so, I'd love to work with you to help you create your own game!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I pay?

You can pay by any major credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, etc.) or by PayPal (except for payment plans).

I’ve never made a game before. Will this be difficult?

It’s not that difficult once you learn the process. The Board Game Design Course will walk you through everything step-by-step and I will be here to answer any questions you have.

Is there a guarantee if I don’t like the course or change my mind?

Yes! I’m so confident that you’ll love the course and will be able to create your own game that I stand behind it 100% with my Ripped-Up Legacy Card Guarantee. You'll find all the details just below.

What if I can’t make the live coaching / Q&A calls?

Don’t worry! All calls will be recorded and available on replay within 1-2 days. Plus, you can always ask your questions in advance and have them answered on the call, even if you can’t make it live.

Can you guarantee my game will be finished by the end of the course and it will be good?

A board game can take months or years to develop, so I cannot guarantee that you game will be done by the end of the course. It’s very hard to judge when a game is “done”, as almost any game could always be developed further and improved upon.

But, if you dedicate yourself to creating the game you have in your head, you will have learned the process, and you can continue to apply this to make your game even better. You can also use this every time you create a new game, and you will become a better game designer as a result.

I’m so confident that you’ll love the course and will be able to create your own game that I stand behind it 100% with my Ripped-Up Legacy Card Guarantee.

If you try out the course and decide it's not right for you, take the transcripts and rip them up like a card in a legacy game and I’ll give you all your money back. Just let me know by the end of the course for a complete refund.

I want everyone who joins the course to be confident and excited to be able to create their own game, and if you’re not, please let me know.

There's zero risk to you.

I’m happy to refund your money if the course isn’t right for you. No hard feelings. :)

Deal Me In!

It’s time to make a decision.

You can continue to dream about your game and think “one day I’ll get around to making that…”

Or, you can join The Board Game Design Course today, and finally feel what it’s like to create your own amazing game that people can’t wait to play.

Imagine seeing your friends and family brought closer and having an amazing, memorable night, all thanks to you! What would that feel like?

Join The Board Game Design Course now and find out how it feelsto create the memories others will never forget.

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